January 26, 2010

Funeral set for Jacob Curby, former LTHS wrestler

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Jan. 28, for Jacob Christopher Curby, 25, a 2002 graduate and former wrestling standout at Lyons Township High School, who was found dead Friday at his home in Boise, Idaho.

Curby was discovered not breathing on his sofa at
home, according to a statement issued by USA Wrestling, which is considered the national governing body of the sport. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. No medical information
about the incident is currently available.

Curby was ranked No. 3 on the Greco-Roman National Team and has twice been a national team member, according to the statement. He returned a few days ago from competing in Russia.

Curby rose to national and international prominence in Greco-Roman wrestling while competing for the U.S. Olympic Education Program at Northern Michigan University.

His top achievement on the national level was placing second at the
2007 U.S. World Team Trials. He was fourth at the U.S. Nationals the
last three seasons, and placed third at the 2008 Pan American
Championships, according to the statement.

As a sophomore wrestler at LT, Curby qualified for the state tournament in 2000, where he won in the Greco-Roman category at 145 pounds, according to a March 2007 story in the Suburban Life newspaper.

Later in 2002, Curby was diagnosed with leukemia. But following aggressive chemotherapy, he appeared to have beaten the disease.

“Wrestling is his life and he was totally engaged in it,” said his father Dave Curby in the statement from USA Wrestling. “He is a kid with many friends. He
overcame so much in his life, with epilepsy and having cancer when he
was in high school. It is a shock. We are always so proud of him in all
aspects of his life. He only got great things from being involved with
USA Wrestling at this level.”